Carved
by finder77
Summary: A young woman is transported to the Narutoverse, specifically SOUND. When the time comes will she choose to stay in the world of Naruto? And will she fight for good or evil? And who will she choose: Sasuke or Kabuto? Please read! SasukexOCxKabuto
1. Prologue

Chapter 1:

Finder77: As you can see, I've done a bit of revision for this story. I wanted to make it a reading experience worthy of the lovely reviews, faves, and alerts I've been getting. Here's the prologue. I don't own Naruto.

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A young woman stepped carefully through a gap in the fence of Cannonball Park. The fence was a protection of sorts, designed to keep people out. Cannonball Park had become dangerous lately, especially at night, with several disappearances and occasionally reports of murder. The woman knew that walking through the area at night was risky, but she wanted to get home quickly. The park was the only shortcut she knew and it would save her about a mile of walking. She figured she'd be fine. She walked through the park often, since she usually worked late into the evening. Nothing had happened to her all those times. Why would something bad happen tonight?

Her pace was quick; she wanted to get home as soon as possible. Her breath came out in clouds of vapor. The night was cold, colder than it had been all season. She wished she had remembered to grab a sweater before leaving home. When she got back to her apartment she decided she would make some hot chocolate. Yes, definitely. That would be quite cozy compared to the winter cold's biting wind that chapped her lips and blew her dark hair into her eyes. Perhaps she would even settle down on her couch and read a book. The dark haired woman would've preferred to sit by a fire while reading but her apartment didn't offer that luxury.

The young woman could practically feel her fingers turning blue. Maybe it wasn't that cold and her mind was exaggerating a bit, but really, tonight of all nights she would've given a week's pay for a pair of mittens and a jacket. This morning it had seemed like it was going to be a beautiful day. The local newsman had said sunny, near fifties. It felt more like twenties now that the sun had gone down.

The dark-haired woman walked through a section of the park where many discarded artifacts lay about. It seemed like a series of ancient ruins. She stepped past a dilapidated swing set, a commemorating statue of townspeople who'd lost their lives in wars, a toppled-over trash barrel, and a few dilapidated benches. It was as she rushed past these benches that a hooded old man called to her from the darkness.

He sat on a wooden park bench, his figure hunched over as if in pain, his hands clutching a wooden cane. The wind whipped his cloak about even though he sat. "Princess, come here for a second!" he pleaded through the noise of the wind.

The young woman knew it was bad to talk to strangers. Who didn't know that? It was one of those main rules parents tell you before your fifth birthday, one of those much-needed guidelines by which to live your life. She knew it was wrong to stop in Cannonball Park for anything, especially at this time of night, but the old man's voice stressed an urgency that made her think he needed help, perhaps even medical attention. She knew the likelihood of anyone else walking through this area at this time of night was slim to none. If he was sick, she was his only hope. She couldn't just walk by uncaring. She had to stop.

The young woman approached him cautiously. In the dim light of the moon she noticed his cane was covered with unusual carvings. "Your cane is beautiful," she said, suddenly distracted from the old man's situation. "Where did you get it?"

"Oh, this old thing?" he muttered with a wheeze. He shook his head. "You can't get one of these here."

"Oh," she said, wondering why the old man didn't bother to tell her where he had gotten it. "What did you call me for?"

"Depends," he said, "Are you sure you want to know where this cane came from?"

The man was beginning to sound weird. His voice was almost garbled, as if heard through a barrier. And why was he drawing out the situation so long? What did he want? The young woman was starting to feel uncomfortable. Part of her wanted to run away from the creepy old man. She wanted to race home as fast as she could, but her feet weren't moving because she really did want to know where such a beautiful cane was made. "Yes, okay," she said. "I want to know where it's from."

The man stood up quickly, quicker than any old man should move. The woman jumped back with a small shriek in surprise. He was at least seven feet tall. She commanded herself to move as he took a step towards her, but her feet were frozen to the ground. He laughed. "You will know, soon enough!" he bellowed. His voice rose and echoed among the trees. Out of the corner of her eye, the woman saw some birds fly out of the surrounding trees from the sound. The old man took another step towards her. He pulled off his hood, revealing that he was nothing but a skeleton. The woman opened her mouth to scream but all that came out was a terrified gasp. In one swift movement, the thing she thought was an old man tapped the end of his cane into her forehead. She felt blood drip down her face and realized that even if she screamed, no one would hear her. No one went to Cannonball Park. The man laughed and the carvings on the cane started to glow bright red. The young woman finally managed to scream but it was drowned out in a brilliant flash of light that bleached out everything, even the stars. Then everything was dark.

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Finder77: Review please!


	2. Chapter 2: Contemplation

Chapter 2:

Finder77: Carved is an AU Naruto fanfiction. In this AU, most of Sound is still intact. I don't own Naruto.

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Sasuke had left the Sound compound to take a walk more than an hour ago. He was shirking from his duties and he knew it, but he didn't care. He was steamed because of something Kabuto had done earlier that day.

* * *

Orochimaru had asked to see Sasuke about a project they'd been working on in the previous weeks. Sasuke was told to meet his master in the infirmary, and had assumed from that that their discussion would have to do with the cursed seals, or something along those lines.

Sasuke walked through the stone, torch-lit chambers of Sound. When he finally got to the infirmary it was not Orochimaru, but Kabuto, who greeted him.

"Hello Sasuke," the silver-haired man said without turning around. "What brings you here?"

Sasuke grunted, looking bored and impatient. "Is Orochimaru around? He asked for me to meet him here."

Kabuto looked up from his work and blinked. "No, Sasuke. I haven't seen him around since yesterday."

Sasuke frowned, turning to leave. "He shouldn't have called me here if he wasn't even going to show up. I've got other things I could be doing—"

"Like killing your brother?"

Sasuke stopped and turned, his glare icy. "Yes. Like that."

"You'll never kill him," Kabuto said, his face passive. "It's not in you."

Sasuke had an intense look of hatred upon his face. "You don't know what I'm capable of," he said, wishing he could rip the silver-haired shinobi apart.

"Don't get me wrong," Kabuto pacified, forcing Sasuke to hear him out, "I've heard your story, and I know your reasons for wanting to kill your brother. It makes sense for you to want to extract revenge by killing him… But your strategy…" Kabuto sighed. "Sasuke, what you're doing is a waste of time."

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Don't say that, Kabuto. It can't be a waste of time. It's what I live for."

"That's my point," Kabuto argued. "Your life is nothing, _nothing_, but revenge. If you lived your life like a normal person and killing your brother was just a mild interest, I could see more sense in that, but you've let this become an obsession. You've let revenge become your life."

"What's your point?" Sasuke asked, fuming.

Kabuto tilted his head, his glasses becoming naught but disks of reflected light. "I suppose I thought I could enlighten you."

Sasuke's mouth set itself into a fine line. "You can't make me change my mind."

Kabuto half-smiled, "I know I can't. You're stubborn as hell."

Sasuke grimaced at this and stalked off.

* * *

Now Sasuke leaned against a tree, pondering the morning's conversation. So many people had tried to stop him from deserting Konoha, from joining Sound. So many people had cared: Kakashi, Sakura… and most of all, Naruto. Though the same couldn't quite be said for his other former teammates, Sasuke did miss Naruto and his fierce spirit.

Sasuke began to wonder if maybe it had been a bad idea and a waste of time joining Sound. He knew in his heart, deep, deep down into what was left of it, at least… Naruto would have done anything Sasuke would have asked from him, even help him kill Itachi. He was the best ally, the best friend Sasuke could have asked for—and he had abandoned him. Even when Naruto fought to bring Sasuke back to Konoha, Sasuke had abandoned him.

A roaring crash erupted from nearby, shattering Sasuke's train of thought. Just as Sasuke turned to look, there was a blinding red flash from the same area. Assuming it was an enemy ninja, Sasuke ran toward the terrible sound, but it wasn't an enemy ninja at all.

Sasuke had to stop dead in his tracks in order to not fall into a giant crater he was positive had not been there the day before. It was at least twenty feet deep, and fifty feet around. Carefully walking around the rim of it, Sasuke looked over the edge. In the middle of the crater was a limp figure, unmistakably a girl.

Sasuke stopped, _Should I go back to the Sound compound for help?_ Just then, there was a tremor. He lost his balance and fell headfirst into the crater. Seeing as Sasuke was an extremely talented shinobi and had suffered much worse, he didn't get too beat up when he fell.

Sasuke stood up and walked over to the girl who lay facedown in the dirt. Her body didn't stir, even as he approached. Sasuke carefully turned her on her back to better examine her.

She was pretty by anyone's standards. That, Sasuke could tell at a first glance. Sasuke had long since repressed any sexual desire he'd had to become a better ninja, but he couldn't help noticing the girl's pale skin, long eyelashes and wavy, dark brown hair. She also had a large cut in her forehead.

_That seems odd… for her to be unscathed except for the one cut…_ Sasuke reached down to check her pulse. She was alive, but clearly unconscious.

He wondered who she was. Her clothes were unusual. Tight blue pants and a brown sweater without any sort of armor? They didn't look like any fashion Sasuke had ever seen.

Another tremor brought Sasuke to his senses. _I have to get out of here._ He picked the girl up, bridal style, jumped out of the crater, and went back to Sound.

* * *

Kabuto was in the Sound infirmary when Sasuke ran in with the unconscious girl in his arms. "Who is that?" Kabuto asked, scanning the girl with his eyes. "Would Orochimaru approve of this?"

"Calm down, Kabuto," said Sasuke as he placed the girl on a medical bed.

Kabuto dropped what he was doing to better interrogate Sasuke. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know," Sasuke said. It seemed instinct had taken over. "I want you to take care of her, Kabuto."

"Why? Does Orochimaru even know about this?" the silver-haired medical ninja asked.

"No, not yet," Sasuke answered as Kabuto hooked her up to an I.V.

"What do you plan on doing with her? He will find out eventually."

"I know he will," Sasuke said, not underestimating Orochimaru's wrath. "I don't know what I plan on doing with her. I just didn't want to leave her out there. What would you have done?"

Kabuto laughed. "The same, I suppose. I'm just surprised. It seems the great Sasuke Uchiha _does_ have a soul!" Kabuto smiled. "I don't know, Sasuke. What will Orochimaru think?"

"I don't give a damn what he thinks," Sasuke said. He was set on this.

Kabuto couldn't turn Sasuke down on something like this, either. Sasuke was finally caring about something other than revenge. "Fine," Kabuto agreed. "She can stay, but only if Orochimaru approves. I can't give a definite answer as I'm not really the one in charge here."

Sasuke looked relieved that the girl wasn't being thrown back out of Sound, not immediately, at least.

Kabuto continued, "Do you know what's wrong with her?" He needed to know what was wrong before he could treat her.

"No. I found her in a crater about a mile away from here. But I suggest you look at the cut on her forehead first. I think it's still bleeding."

Kabuto got a small flashlight and examined the cut thoroughly to come up with a prognosis. "I'd say she's been branded."

"What?"

"I think someone shoved hot iron into her, to brand her," explained Kabuto.

"Like property?" asked Sasuke.

"That's usually the case," said Kabuto. He cleaned the cut on her forehead revealing a clean-cut circle with 愛 (ai/love) inside it. "Wow," was all he said.

"That bastard," said Sasuke as he breathed through clenched teeth.

"What is it, Sasuke?" asked Kabuto.

"The only person I know to have that as their symbol... is Sabaku no Gaara. Gaara of the Desert."

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Finder77: Ooh, plot twist, ne? Review, please! Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3: Awakening

Chapter 3:

Finder77: And now the continuation!

* * *

It was a while before the young woman in the Sound infirmary woke up. Sasuke sat by her bed, waiting for her to regain consciousness. After not too long, Kabuto left the infirmary to tend to someone else in another section of the Sound compound.

Now Sasuke was alone with the girl while the minutes ticked away. The strange young woman's sudden appearance intrigued Sasuke, and he wanted to know where she had come from and what that flash of red light had been. If it was the outcome of a jutsu, it didn't seem to have worked well. Perhaps she had been exiled from her village…?

Even more puzzling was the 愛 brand on her forehead. Sasuke wondered if Gaara had a harem or something. That might explain the brand, and she was pretty enough to be in a harem…

So on and so forth, these were the thoughts of Uchiha Sasuke, wondering what the story behind the young woman was.

* * *

After an hour or two, the dark-haired woman began to stir and opened her eyes. Looking around, she soon realized that she was not only in a medical environment but also hooked up to a half dozen monitors. The electric box that monitored her pulse quickened its beeps along with her heart rate.

"You don't have to be afraid."

It was then that the young woman noticed the man who sat next to her bed. He was handsome, with black hair that fell like the brushstrokes of an artist. His eyes were dark and guarded. His manner of dress was conspicuous. The shirt he wore was white and open, showing a large portion of his fair, sculpted chest.

The young man cleared his throat, causing the woman to look away in embarrassment. She had been staring.

"Good to see you're awake," the young man said to her.

"Can you tell me what happened?" the brunette girl asked as she tried to sit up. She was still too weak from whatever had happened. Biting her lip, she tried to remember. An old man had called to her. He'd had a cane with beautiful carvings on it. He'd asked her if she wanted to know where it came from and then… She ended up here?

"I found you unconscious in a crater not far from here," Sasuke responded. "I brought you here in order to better treat you."

That answered a few of her questions. "Thank you," she said. She was grateful that this man had saved her life, but there was still so much she didn't know. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Sasuke Uchiha," the young man said. His dark eyes seemed to be testing her. "Only 'Sasuke' is necessary."

The young woman gave a tiny smile. "Pleased to meet you, Sasuke," she said. "What… is this place?" It smelled of dense earth. That wasn't usual for a hospital.

"You are in Sound," Sasuke informed her. "It is the village founded by Orochimaru."

"Who's that?"

"I'm surprised you haven't heard of him." Sasuke shifted in his seat. "He's quite well known. One of the three legendary sannin?"

The dark haired girl gave him a puzzled glance.

Sasuke shrugged again. "You'll meet him soon enough," he assured. "He's in charge here, so he'll probably realize you've arrived soon. Sooner rather than later." His look was dark, giving the appearance that this Orochimaru was someone to be reckoned with. Then Sasuke changed the subject altogether. "You never said what your name was…"

"Oh!" The dark-haired girl looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, I'm…" The girl scoured her mind but could find no trace of a name. She surrendered to the inevitable. "I can't remember who I am. I can't remember anything. Except…"

Sasuke leaned forward. "Except what?"

But before she could even begin to answer him, dark laughter filled the room. "Oh, Sasuke, you've been very rebellious." The speaker materialized into vision as if through a dense fog. He appeared ill, he was so white, and his hair was long and dark.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Sasuke stood to greet his master while the nameless girl watched. "Orochimaru, where have you been?"

The sick-looking man grinned wide. "Tone, Sasuke. Watch it." He then answered, "I had an appointment to attend to. Important business to the south I had almost forgotten." Orochimaru's eyes glittered with ill intent. "Now Sasuke, what is this girl doing here?"

"New recruit from the Sand Village." Sasuke spoke quickly and without emotion. "She travelled a long way after facing poverty and starvation in her home village. I found her unconscious outside of Sound a couple of hours ago and brought her back so Kabuto could treat her."

"How tragic." Orochimaru smiled. There had been no hesitance in Sasuke's voice that the young woman could hear, but this legendary sannin seemed to think differently. "Tsk, tsk, Sasuke," he said. "You can't lie to your master."

Sasuke didn't respond. The girl on the hospital bed looked from Sasuke to Orochimaru. How had he known Sasuke was lying?

"So," Orochimaru hissed. "Were you planning on telling me about this anytime soon?"

"Kabuto said that you'd find out eventually," replied Sasuke, passing the buck. "I assumed when he said that, he meant he was going to tell you."

Orochimaru looked surprised. Just then, Kabuto walked through the door into the room, saw Orochimaru, and turned on his heel to walk out.

"Kabuto, get your scrawny ass in here!" commanded Orochimaru. Kabuto walked back in slowly but stayed a few feet away from his master, probably to avoid getting his head smacked. Orochimaru asked in a faux pleasant voice, "Sasuke says you knew about this?"

Kabuto gave Sasuke an anxious glare.

"I thought you told him," defended Sasuke.

"Yes, I knew about it," Kabuto answered, "But no, I hadn't told him."

"Why don't you people tell me these things?" hissed Orochimaru as he let out an exasperated sigh. He turned on the girl, "Who are you, then? Where are you from?"

"I… I don't know," she answered. Standing before her and demanding answers like this, Orochimaru put off a very menacing aura. She was frightened of him, but she didn't look away.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed at her response. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"She didn't have a village headband on her," Sasuke informed.

"Interesting. Do you mind if I take a look at her?" Orochimaru asked Kabuto.

The girl's eyes went wide. "Why are you asking _him_?"

The woman had barely finished speaking when the sannin brought her chin up in his hand and looked her straight in the eye. The girl felt defiled as Orochimaru smiled cruelly down upon her. If she hadn't been so weak, she would've done everything in her power to get away from him. He examined every possible feature of her face, during what felt like an eternity, before letting go.

Orochimaru had a far-off gaze in his eyes. "I think we will have use for you," he told the young woman as he turned to leave. "Kabuto, Sasuke! Find her a place to sleep and keep her under lock and key." He turned back to the girl one last time before leaving the room, "Welcome to Sound."

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Finder77: Well there's your chapter! Review please. Be sure to keep this story on your story alerts list so you know when new chapters are added! Have a good day!


	4. Chapter 4: Affection

Finder77: Short update time, woo! I don't own Naruto.

* * *

The young girl sat in her room, curled up on the cot, and shivering. Her room was cold and she was wearing light clothing. She woke up wondering what time it was. There weren't any windows so she couldn't tell. _'This can't be good,'_ she thought. _'I can't freeze to death. I wonder what the temperature is.'_

She sat up for another hour. The room eventually became warmer. It wasn't long before Sasuke came for her. _Knock, knock._ Sasuke rapped at the door, asking if he could come in. "Yeah, come in."

Sasuke stepped into the room and looked at the girl sitting on the cot whose knees were brought up to her chest. "Um…" Sasuke was having trouble addressing the girl. "Look, I know you don't remember your name but… I need something to call you. You need a name," he said.

"I don't really _need_ a name but if you think it's necessary… You can call me…" Her mind flitted from name to name. She tried to think of something that would be reasonable in these circumstances. "Ai…" (愛/love)

"Ai?" asked Sasuke. He wanted to be sure. He wondered if she knew that was the same lettering on her head.

"Yes, Ai can be my name. At least, until I remember my real one."

"Okay… Ai, Orochimaru says he wants me to train you as a shinobi," Sasuke said. He just happened to leave out the part about her staying permanently.

"Why?" asked Ai.

"I actually don't know the reason. He just said so."

"It's an order…"

"Yes. First we'll need to get you some new clothes," Sasuke stared at the surroundings, "And hopefully a better room. Come on." Sasuke held his hand out to the girl, not wanting to be too forceful. She took it and they left the room.

Sasuke walked the girl quickly through the labyrinth that was Sound. He brought her to a room with extra clothing and pulled out a stack of different sized clothes. Then he ushered her into a closet she could use as a dressing room. "Just find something that fits," he said.

She hastily changed her clothes from the fancy embroidered blouse and skirt, to a tight black tank-top and camouflage pants. The first pants were too big so she went for a smaller pair. After a few minutes, she came out with the new clothes on. She put the other clothes back and asked Sasuke, "Where to next?"

They left the clothes room and made their way to their next destination, which happened to be the barracks of Sound where everyone slept. Sasuke walked down the hall to the very end where there were several open doors. He picked last one on the right and walked in with Ai. "You'll be sleeping here now so you can leave your old clothes here," said Sasuke.

"Thanks," said Ai. The room was much better than the one she'd had before. It was much cleaner and it had a real bed.

"It's nothing," said Sasuke. "You'll begin your training now so you'll be considered a member of Sound."

"Well thanks anyways," said Ai giving Sasuke's hand a small squeeze.

Sasuke looked at Ai, not really sure how to react. Sure, the gesture was affectionate, but it wasn't as if she'd hugged him or something.

"So, shinobi training? What did you have in mind?" Ai asked.

"Well, physical, endurance, strength, jutsus; everything I guess. Orochimaru didn't specify…" his voice wandered off.

"Now?" she asked.

"Yeah, let's go."

Sasuke took Ai to a small room filled with fighting dummies and other training needs. "So I'm going to be fighting?" asked Ai as they walked into the room.

"Not yet, but eventually. I need to teach you more basic things first," said Sasuke. "Have a seat," said Sasuke gesturing to a lonely chair that sat by itself in the middle of the room. Ai sat in the chair keeping her eyes on Sasuke. "So if I'm to teach you how to be a shinobi, then you can refer to me as your sensei," he smirked.

"Yes, Sensei," confirmed Ai.

Sasuke frowned a little inside, surprised at Ai's reaction. "I'll start off by explaining to you what chakra is and how the chakra circulatory systems work."

"Sasuke-sensei, I already know what chakra is and how the chakra systems work," said Ai.

"You do? I thought you weren't from a ninja village," said Sasuke.

"Well, I'm not. But that doesn't mean I can't know these things," stated Ai.

"So how much do you know?" asked Sasuke.

"More than you think I do, Sasuke-sensei," said Ai. "I know about the hand signs for jutsus, and what most of them look like. Granted, I can't _do_ jutsus yet, but I know some hand signs. I also know the basic aspects of Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu."

"You do know more than I expected, especially someone not from a shinobi village. Where did you learn all this?" he asked.

"Where I came from," said Ai bluntly.

"I think you'll be fighting sooner than expected, Ai," said Sasuke. "Come over here for a second," he said, standing by one of the dummies. Ai stood up and walked over. "Okay, I want you to hit this dummy as hard as you can," said Sasuke.

Ai raised her fist to the dummy and swung as hard as she could. Her hand collided with the dummy dead center forcing it back a little. "Ow," said Ai, pulling her hand back to examine it.

"That was… Okay," said Sasuke. "You have good aim and that was pretty concentrated but… We'll need to work on your Taijutsu. Maybe even get some chakra in your punch. Come on," he finished, dragging Ai off to an outside training area they could use.

* * *

Ai was quickly making progress. Sasuke had been trying to teach her how to climb trees without her hands as Kakashi had done for him while he was still part of Konoha. It brought back memories.

"Kyaaa!" yelled Ai as she ran swiftly up the tree, scraping the bark's surface with a kunai. She got up about twenty feet before falling to the ground. She landed as gracefully as possible on all fours, and then stood up so she could have another go.

"Hey, Sasuke?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he said absent mindedly.

"Are you okay?"

Sasuke snapped back to alertness, looking over towards her. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"If you say so," said Ai as she focused her chakra again to head back up the tree.

After a while, it started to get dark. Ai had finished climbing the tree and stood proudly at the top, waving down to Sasuke. "Come on up! You've got to see this view!" she called from the treetop.

_'Like I haven't already a million times,'_ thought Sasuke. He'd done this before. He knew what the view looked like. _'Well… If it will make her happy… I guess it's not a waste of time…'_ Sasuke summoned his chakra to his feet and skillfully climbed up the tree within a minute. He stood with Ai looking down at the view of the forests, fields, and rivers below them.

"Isn't it beautiful?" asked Ai. She stared at the scenery, taking in every bit of it.

Sasuke looked out at the view from the top of the tree then back to Ai. "Yes," said Sasuke. "It is beautiful. Thanks for inviting me up here."

"You're welcome," said Ai.

* * *

Finder77: Woot! Finally, my little bit of writers block is over! Please review! It makes me happy!


	5. Chapter 5: Serendipity

Finder77: Okay, next chapter. I don't own Naruto… at all. This story is a little AU because there are a few major changes between it and the real Narutoverse. I tried to make this chapter a bit longer than usual to try to appease a complaint I received at the shortness of my chapters from sasukelover2. I also went to the trouble of combining all the other chapters to make them longer. I hope I did okay. PS. Some people _do_ like short stories.

* * *

Ai woke up the next day in her new room. She recalled the previous day's events, yawning and stretching under the dark-colored sheets of her small bed. The air in her room was stale and smelled faintly of something she couldn't put her finger on, but she didn't mind. She was just glad she was out of that other room. She stood up realizing she still had on her outfit from yesterday. She looked over to the small dresser in the corner of her room, to find an identical outfit to the one she had on, only clean and folded. _'Well, that's a nice surprise,' _she thought.

A loud series of knocks came from her closed bedroom door. Ai quickly headed over to it before the person on the other side could knock again and opened the door. A fairly short girl with brightly colored hair stood in the doorway, a small smile plastered on her face. "Hey, I'm Tayuya. Sasuke sent me," she said.

"Oh, I'm Ai. Nice to meet you. Um… so what did he send you for?" asked Ai.

"Shut up, I was getting to that," said Tayuya. "I'm supposed to show you to the showers."

"Oh! That's good, then…"

"Yes, yes. Now let's go. You'd better bring your clothes you're going to change into with you."

"Okay," said Ai. Tayuya didn't wait for her to grab her clothes so Ai had to race after her once she left her room.

"So," said Tayuya as she walked down a stretch of hallway with Ai at her side, "I heard you can sing. I play the flute myself but not for entertainment purposes." She smiled. "Are you good?"

Ai instantly blushed. _'How fast does news spread around here?'_ she thought. "Um… I do sing but… I don't know if I'm good. I don't recall ever having an audience before…"

"Heh, I'm sure you're good. Rumors spread like wildfire around here… and I've heard nothing but good things about your voice." She changed the subject as they rounded a corner. "So you don't recall, ne? I'd heard you had amnesia but I wasn't sure Kabuto was serious."

"Are you friends with Kabuto?" asked Ai.

"Well… I wouldn't say _that_…" Tayuya opened a large wooden door and steam filtered out. "The showers are in here. Come on," she said. The door shut behind them as they walked in. It was a high-ceilinged room, or at least when compared to the other rooms, with wooden benches and a shelf divided into many cubbies, each holding a towel. "Hmm, I guess I'll have to get you a towel shelf…" Tayuya thought aloud. They walked over to the boxes and Tayuya pointed to an unused one. Upon closer inspection, Ai noticed every other one was labeled with a name of a different Sound ninja. "You can write your name on there," said Tayuya.

"Okay… Do you have a pen?" asked Ai. Tayuya grabbed a container of ink off the top of the shelf that had a brush resting in it, and handed it to Ai.

Ai took the brush and wrote her name as neat as she could, even though her handwriting wasn't great. "Thanks," she said to Tayuya.

A young kunoichi walked by and deposited her towel in her designated cubby. She turned when she saw Tayuya. "Hey!" she said. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Ai," said Tayuya. Ai didn't miss the fact that Tayuya didn't deny being her friend.

"Hi, I'm Kaori," said the girl. "You're the new girl, right? The one who sings?"

Ai blushed again. "Yes, that's me…" _'I wonder if I'll be known as the girl who sings forever… Everyone seems to know about that.'_

"Good luck in Sound!" said Kaori, before departing through the large wooden door Ai and Tayuya had come in from before.

"She seems nice," noted Ai.

Tayuya nodded. "_She_ is, but you had better watch your back around here. There _are_ people who aren't so nice."

"Oh," said Ai.

Tayuya noticed the nervous expression on her face. "You'll be _fine_," she said, emphasizing as if she was sure of it. "I won't let the bastards mess with you." She had Ai grab her towel and follow her to another section of the room. "These are the changing rooms," said Tayuya. "You can get undressed and into your towel in there, and I'll meet you back out here in a second."

Ai nodded and walked into the small curtained room, drawing the curtains behind her. She quickly got out of her clothes and into the towel she'd been given. When she came back out, Tayuya was already in her own towel and waiting. "You're fast," said Ai.

Tayuya nodded, a smug smile on her face. "Well? Let's go!" she said.

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Finder77: Okay, please **review**! I worked really hard on this chapter and I hope it is okay… This is my most popular story and I wanted to that everyone who reads it because I've gotten over three thousand hits! It's such a big number… Anyways, thanks even more to those who review! Reviewers make my day!


	6. Chapter 6: Jealousy

Finder77: Yay! This is definitely my most popular story. Thanks for all your reviews, alerts, and favorites! It makes me feel so special. I don't own Naruto. Oh, and I just wanted to say that if you hadn't noticed, I combined some of the chapters of this story to make each individual chapter longer and less chapters altogether. I'm doing this to a few of my stories and also am in the process of re-writing _The Story of Gaara and Mitsuko_ and _One Wild Summer_. Now, to the story!

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Ai and Tayuya walked quietly over the intricate stone floors of the walkway that led to the baths, their footsteps echoing off the walls. The stone was cold on Ai's bare feet, but the steam that greeted them kept her warm enough. "I never imagined the inside of Sound to be this . . . lucullan," she remarked. 

"Yeah?" Tayuya asked, though not expecting an answer. Her voice fell to a whisper. "You act like you know more about Sound than you let on . . . like a spy or something . . . but you don't remember where you're from?"

Ai thought quickly, _Well, technically I do . . . but no one would believe me anyways . . . and the information I have wouldn't help anyone anyway._ Ai shook her head no, then keeping her voice low as well, said, "I don't remember anything. Whatever my old life was, it's completely forgotten now . . . but I like it here," she added quickly, smiling. Only after having said so, she realized it was true.

Tayuya smiled, almost triumphantly. "I could tell you would. I think you'll fit in fine here."

The two walked in through a pair of wooden doors to the baths. The air was damp and warm: perfect for relaxing. The room held a large onsen, deeper in some areas than in others and heated by a natural hot springs. Clouds of steam rose from the water which held only a few Sound kunoichi.

"Hey, Tayuya!" yelled one of the girls.

"Hey! We'll be out in a sec!" said Tayuya before pulling Ai along with her.

Ai followed after a moment but asked, "Where are we going?"

Tayuya gave a short laugh. "We have to shower first," she explained, "You weren't just going to dive in without washing yourself first, were you?"

Ai laughed to hide her embarrassment. "Of course not, I was just wondering where we were off to next."

"Sure," said Tayuya, unconvinced but still smiling as Ai blushed profusely.

The two walked quickly to a room that held several showers with Tayuya leading the way. "You can take your shower here and then just meet me in the baths when you're done," directed Tayuya.

Ai nodded before walking into a shower and pulling the curtain behind her shut. She heard Tayuya turn the water on in a shower not too far away, and she quickly did the same. Ai remembered how fast Tayuya had changed into her towel. _I don't want to take too long and make her wait_, thought Ai. _I don't want anyone here annoyed with me if possible._

Ai showered quickly. The water was warm but not too hot and she easily found soap and hair products on a shelf that hung in the shower. She was out, hair wet and in her towel within a few minutes, and realizing Tayuya had already finished, walked out to the baths.

Ai was greeted by clouds of steam that rose from the bath's hot spring water. She heard light chattering from the girls that already occupied the spring, Tayuya among them. "Hey, Ai!" she called, looking up from the other girls. "Come on in!"

Ai smiled and walked to the edge of the bath, still in her towel. There were wide steps leading down into it which she steadily descended, hesitantly submerging herself in the warm water. She walked up through the thick steam to the other girls, blushing slightly. She wasn't exactly used to any of this.

"Oh, well aren't you a _pretty_ little thing," said a silver-haired girl as Ai approached. "And all of Sound is talking about you."

Ai blinked. "All of Sound…?"

"Of course!" chimed in a second girl, "You're the new girl! And word's gotten round that you can sing," she finished with a small smile.

"Oh, right," said Ai, smiling sheepishly. She'd forgotten.

"So, can you?" asked the younger girl.

The silver-haired girl scoffed, butting in before Ai could comment, "Even if she can sing: Which I doubt, you know how rumors are around here… She probably can't sing very well…"

Ai stayed silent so Tayuya broke in for her, "Of course she can sing! Great even. A hell of a lot better than you can, Miname!"

The girl called Miname was left open mouthed. She quickly closed it and stuck her nose up, "Hmph! You have no idea what you're talking about Tayuya! And if she can sing so well, make her prove it." The silver-haired kunoichi smiled smugly.

Tayuya turned to Ai after a few seconds. "Come on," she whispered somewhat loudly, "I know you can sing. You're not going to make us both look like idiots, are you?"

Ai stared down at her hands that wrung themselves nervously. "I don't like singing in front of people," she said quietly. "I don't think I can—

"Of course you can!" said Tayuya. She stared at Ai then turned to Miname.

"My patience is running low," said Miname.

"Why should I have to prove it to you?!" yelled Ai.

"I knew it! You can't sing and you're both liars." Miname scoffed again, "You both should be ashamed of yourself."

Ai closed her eyes and opened her mouth, losing all hesitation as she sang:

_Here I am again, _

_There's a truth for every lie, _

_The river it will bend, _

_Ope'ning up beneath the sky, _

_And truth be told, _

_And lies beheld, _

_A memory to send, _

_I don't know so don't ask me why. _

Ai's voice echoed off the damp walls on the last syllable. She opened her eyes and almost laughed on the expression on Miname's face.

Tayuya smiled victoriously. "I think you owe _somebody_ an apology," she said to Miname.

The green-eyed girl thrust her nose in the air again, turning her back to the group, "So she can sing!" she said loudly, "It's not like I really care." Miname walked up and out of the baths, not even turning around.

Tayuya turned back to Ai and laughed. "I think that bitch is _jealous_!"

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Finder77: Please review if possible! I would greatly appreciate it! 


	7. Chapter 7: Discussions

Chapter 8:

Written to the sounds of: Dan Fogelburg, Daphne and Celeste, Dresden Dolls, and Evan & Jaron.

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It was after she herself had exited the baths that Ai finally asked Tayuya, "Why do you think… that Miname was jealous?" 

Tayuya smiled slightly in a very knowing way as the two walked through the underground corridors, "Well, this i is /i Sound," she said. She led Ai down another hallway.

"And?" Ai asked, listening intently.

"Well," said Tayuya hesitantly, "In Sound, being gifted with abilities like being able to sing like you can makes you special. It's a rare talent." As they walked, Tayuya beamed, "If you could use it… Turn it into a jutsu, it would be amazing. That's what I've managed to do with my flute."

Ai looked flustered, "I don't know if I could—

Tayuya shook her head, "I'm sure you could if you had help."

Ai looked to her hopefully.

Tayuya surprised her by saying, "Have you shown Sasuke? Has he heard you? What does he think?"

Ai blushed crimson instantly.

It took Tayuya a moment to notice before, "Whoa… Ai, are you…" Suddenly a smirk flickered across her face. "You i like /i Sasuke?"

Ai blushed deeper, if that was possible, and held her hands up in a defensive stance, waving them frantically as if trying to shoo the idea away. "No! No, it's just that the idea of singing in front of anyone makes me embarrassed!"

Tayuya shrugged, "Lying will get you nowhere."

Ai's eyes narrowed in frustration. "I'm telling the truth! I'm serious! I do not i like /i Sasuke!"

It was then that Ai, not watching where she was going, bumped into someone, causing them both to fall to the ground. "Oh my god, I am so sorry, I—"

"It's nothing," said the young man as he stood up, "I should have been paying more attention, myself."

"Why don't you watch where you're going next time, Kabuto!" Tayuya fumed.

"Actually, maybe bumping into you wasn't such a bad thing," said Kabuto absent mindedly.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Tayuya demanded.

"I was just on my way to get Ai," Kabuto said, "Orochimaru's orders."

"Oh," said Tayuya, adopting a tone almost as timid as Ai's at the mention of the serpent master's name. "Well Ai, I guess I'll see you around." And with that she scurried off down the hallway, looking as though she were trying to outrun the plague.

Ai started, "Why was she—"

"It's not of importance," said Kabuto, "You're wanted quickly in Lord Orochimaru's presence."

Ai nodded, a dazed look upon her face that turned quickly to fear, "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" she asked.

"No… Well, I don't believe so. He didn't sound exactly angry when he called for you. Come on, we have to go." Kabuto didn't hesitate to take her arm and lead her away.

Finder77: You know, sorry it's a bit short… Okay, REALLY short. But I'm short on time. And I wanted to update. Please take a moment to review, it means so much to me. If I'm a starving writer and reviews are my food, you won't let me go hungry, will you?!


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